“Meet the Species,” the Mesozoic Talk Show

What You Need:

• a few friends or family members
• printouts of "About My Species" page (0.4 MB PDF)
• Internet access
• Clothes and crafts materials for creating "Instant Dinosaur Costumes" (in a matter of minutes)
• hooded sweatshirts
• recycled boxes, tubes etc.
• sheets of white foam (to cut into teeth)
• paper cones (to be horns)
• colored felt
• recycled tubes (to create long necks)
• feathers
• tape
• rubber gloves (small)
• construction paper
• scissors
• long pieces of fabric (for simple tails)
• pillow cases

What to Do:

1. Show your child the video clip from "Junior Conductor Jamboree," above.
2. Have your child brainstorm some of her favorite kinds of dinosaurs. Come up with a list of at least 10 different kinds. Next, ask, "What is your favorite species of dinosaur?" See if your child knows what "species" means. Explain that's how scientists say, "What is your favorite kind of dinosaur?" To help your child think of some possibilities, she can browse through a library book on dinosaurs, or click through the Field Guide on the Dinosaur Train website.
3. Help your child complete the "About My Species" page, which asks basic information about a particular dinosaur species. Much of this information can be found on the Dinosaur Train Field Guide
4. Ask your child to use simple crafts materials to make a simple dinosaur costume in a short period of time (5-10 minutes). She should play attention to details such as tails, teeth, crests, horns, number of toes on feet, and so on. IMPORTANT: The goal is to "hint" at the dinosaur's identity rather than create precise replicas.
5. It's show time! An adult pretends to be the host of a TV show set during the Mesozoic Era (Age of Dinosaurs) called "Meet the Species." The format of the show is that the adult invites 3-5 dinosaurs to the show, and asks them questions about what they look like and how they "make a living" (survive). Each child can make a case for why he or she is one of the "greatest dinosaurs ever." Once in costume, address each child by his or her real name followed by his or her species name, "Erica Triceratops." After each child answers a few basic questions about his or her species, your child can have simple discussion in which they try to persuade a team of judges (other adults or older your child) why they are the "greatest dinosaur ever."
6. At the end, give every child a special certificate for participating in this activity.

Extensions:

• Older children might enjoy serving as host of the "Meet the Species" TV series. To help them prepare for this role, have them make up a list of 5 questions that they'd like to ask their guests.
• If possible, record your child's pretend TV show on video, and show it to other classes.